Anthropophobia
by WishUponAShadow
Summary: When Ezri's quiet holiday plans go haywire in the town of Derrey, she comes across the supernatural man by the name of Bill Skarsgård. She decides that both Bill and herself would benefit from some time spent together, to reunite themselves with civilization. What will she do when her plans are thwarted by Bill's nature to kill?
1. Prologue

**SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER**

Only seven years old, I marched confidently to the middle of the stage in my primary school hall. The play was in motion and the lead actor, eight year old Jimmy, was singing about how important it is to wash your hands before a meal. He kept his voice high and strong, even as I strode in front of him and began grumbling to him how unfair it was that I didn't get the lead role.

I heard a murmur of laughter from the audience of parents, but it didn't stop my rant, and I stomped my foot like a brat to get my point across.

My teacher whispered to me harshly to get back to my place as the back up dancer, but I ignored her, turning instead to face the crowd so that they couldn't see Jimmy. He was still singing somewhat uncertainly, but he stopped when I opened my mouth, took a deep breath, and let out the strangled cry that I considered talent.

A few parents had already been chuckling, but now they were roaring with laughter. The whole crowd was shaking and trying to hold back tears of joy.

At first, I took this as a good sign, but when I glanced out the corner of my eye to see my teacher shaking her head in embarrassment, I realised they found me amusing, rather than talented.

This caused an awful quiver in my voice, making my racket even harder to listen to, and eventually, my voice trailed off to silence. I felt a swelling in my throat, and a prickling in my eyes.

My confidence faultered, and my shoulders drooped.

The parents in the crowd were curiously wondering if this was a part of the play, my teacher was pretend to scratch her eyes out in shame, and my class stood awkwardly behind me, not sure whether to continue or end the show.

I was the center of attention, but not in the way I'd imagined.

My bottom lip quivered, and a single tear spilled onto my cheek. After that, I had no restraint, and I began sobbing loudly. I sat on the ground because I didn't know where to go, and I cried.

I don't remember much else, but eventually the teacher came and dragged me off stage, and the next act of the play began. My parents scolded me when I got home but I didn't listen much, just sat in silence until they ushered me to bed without dinner.


	2. Chapter 1

The streets of Derrey were quiet and empty. The only sound was the flapping of clothes on the washing line in the soft breeze.

I took slow steps, reveling in the lack of people.

Living in the city had done nothing to help me overcome my severe anxiety and fear of people. This holiday would be just what I needed.

Already, it felt like a holiday in paradise.

Despite the school holidays commencing only a few days ago, I had only seen one or two young people wandering near the library I spotted. The school had seemed big when we drove past, so i assumed it had held more students.

Still, I was grateful for the peace and quiet, especially after listening to my parents argue the whole way here. I took a deep breath, trying to settle the tiny bit of uncertainty in my stomach, but being in a knew place was putting me on edge.

I had also disliked the fact that there had been so many recent 'missing person' posters plastered to the street lights.

Just as I began to get lost in my thoughts on the subject, a voice made me halt suddenly.

"I'm sure he went this way. Hurry up or we'll lose him!"

I heard the footsteps that were coming closer, presumably from around the corner of the street, and I panicked.

I turned this way and that, trying to find some place to avoid whoever it was. I spotted a few thick trees and an empty garden with a brick fence, but I thought they might be too risky to be found hiding.

As I scanned the area, I saw only one feasible option.

The footsteps were closer now, the voices carrying on about beating whoever they were after.

I didn't hesitate to run silently to the gutters of the road and slide down to the drain.

My heart rate was up, and my breathing was irregular, but I attempted to calm myself down, if only so the people wouldn't hear me. My chest ached as I failed to bring in the oxygen it was asking for, but I could sense that I hadn't been seen.

"C'mon, hurry!"

I peeked out the gap to find a group of boys half running down the road, shoving each other so that they could see if their victim was there. They slowed to a walk as they realised they'd lost him.

"You idiots! You lost him!"

I shuddered at the sight of the mullet on the boy that spoke. They were my least favorite thing, even before people.

"But Henry, you said he was this way!" One of the others spoke, flicking his dark hair back from his face.

Henry snarled.

"Don't you dare talk back to me." He growled.

The other cowered, and even I shrank back a little. The darkness of the drains enveloped me, and I felt somewhat safer. My breathing was better, though my heart still raced a little.

Stones crunched on the road outside the drain, and I quickly jumped away from the opening so as not to be seen. The footsteps passed quickly and I sighed relief.

Turning to the left and the right, I saw only darkness.

As much as I hated having to hide, I didn't feel like returning to the streets, so I pulled out my phone and switched on the torch. I filed away in my memory that I had turned right, and I began to wander along the sewers. I kept going straight ahead to avoid getting too lost, and observed my surroundings. A few mice scurried this way and that, some rubbish has flowed down here at some point, and there was puddles of mucky water that I tried to avoid stepping in.

The complete lack of people was calming, and for the first time in years, I felt safe.

Until I heard it.

The static noise of rubber against rubber sent chills up my spine, and I twisted on the spot to see where it was coming from. The darkness greeted me, seeming to smirk at how well it hid everything.

I lifted the torch, but the mirky black didn't shift far enough.

I had to decide to keep going and get out, or go back and find myself possibly face to face with a person. I didn't know where in the town that the drains had taken me, so I decided to take my chances and step towards the noise.

The light of the torch suddenly didn't seem strong enough, since I knew something was there, but it remained hidden from my sight. Another step, then a pause, then another step, and a pause.

One more step and something red poked out from the shadows.

A gasp escaped me, and confusion stretched to every corner of my mind as I took in the sight before me.

It was so random, it almost made me laugh.

Almost.


	3. Chapter 2

I splashed the cold water on my face, hoping to clear my head a little. I heard mum and dad muttering about plans to go to the indoor cinema outside the bathroom door.

I replayed the events of today in my head for the seventh time, trying to make sense of it.

The balloons were one thing, but I could deal with them. The man was another thing that I couldn't understand.

He had walked closer until his chest almost touched mine, and in my state of panic, I couldn't move. I could only watch as he lifted a hand and traced a finger down my jawline to my chin.

I don't remember how it felt, only that I couldn't breathe at the time. My lungs had stopped working, and it felt like I was going to explode. The balloons had pressed closer to us, locking us in, and my fear grew to new heights.

It was in that moment that the boys spoke above ground.

"C'mon Henry! Give us a break, we didn't know he'd get away!"

That was the exact sentence that broke me free from the daze. The man in front of me had blinked, and I bolted. The balloons puffed away from us as I pushed through them. I found the nearest opening to the drains, pulled myself out.

I don't know why the man didn't follow me, chase me, try to pull me back. But he didn't.

I ran all the way back to my hotel, and I cried and cried. My parents went crazy trying to calm me, but I just needed to cry. So I curled up under the blankets in my bed and sobbed great big sobs until I fell asleep, exhausted.

Now, after two hours asleep, I was standing in the bathroom gripping the basin tightly and questioning if I could ever leave.

There was a knock at the door.

"Sweetie, there's a show on at the cinemas. If we leave now, we can just catch it."

I sighed.

"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." I answered, which usually translated to 'I'm not coming.'

I heard fumbling outside.

"If you're sure, Honey."

They were gone in minutes, but I waited for a while before exiting the bathroom, needing to calm myself further before facing the world. When I finally let myself out, I lay on the bed, still tired.

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing.

And got bored.

I began pacing the small room and attempted to brainstorm what I could do with my time. The only options I had were limited, and all of them involved leaving the building.

I saw my phone on the bed, my wallet was in my backpack, and my shoes were by the door.

All I had to do was keep my head down, and I wouldn't have to see anybody and if I made it to the library quick enough, maybe I wouldn't meet anyone along the way.

In a moment of spontaneity, I grabbed my backpack threw my phone in it and slung it over my shoulder. I slipped my feet into the shoes and pulled the door open.

The evening breeze hit me square in the chest, but ignoring it, I walked through the hotel carpark and onto the road. I had commited to memory the directions to the library, and managed the windy streets easily. I glanced once or twice at the drains, very tempted to hide away from the sight of people, but each time I thought it, I remembered that I wasn't free from people there either.

So along the streets I went.

"I keep getting paranoid that every red object is a balloon, and that It's gonna pop out and eat me."

I paused midstep.

"Richie's right. We're all paranoid now..."

The voices continued muttering about clowns in sewers and red balloons and broken bones and drool.

It seemed like such an out of place conversation, and that piqued my interest.

I turned to spot a group of boys sitting on their stationary bikes out the front of house. They must've exited the house after I walked past it. I snuck over behind a tree, more for my benefit, than for actually hiding.

"We didn't kill It... we all know that much. We gotta find a way to get It away from here."

"W-we can't go back now. It's g-getting late."

There was a murmur of agreement.

"I wonder how many people have faced It and survived."

This sentence bought on a silence. I felt myself fighting the urge to tell them about my experience.

It sounded so familiar to what they were speaking about, but again, my fear of human interaction prevented me from speaking up. I leant back against the tree and sighed.

That was my mistake.

I heard footsteps, and before I could act, a head popped around the tree trunk. With glasses pushed up his freckled nose, and floppy black hair falling in his face, the boy gave me a wicked grin.

"Well hello, pretty lady. Are you here to spy on me?" He winked.

I felt a rush of embarrassment, and my heart picked up, but not as much as usual. I shook my head shakily.

Another boy came around, dark-skinned and tall.

"Leave her alone, Richie."

"Yeah Richie, she's probably hiding to get away from you." Joked the third boy to come around, who differed from the others by being shorter and carrying more weight.

A fourth boy appeared, dark brown hair parted down the middle, and glanced over me curiously.

There was too many of them at one time, and I felt my breathing start to get ragged.

And still, another two came. One had his arm in a cast, and a very stern look on his face. The other, with blonde curl bouncing on his head, had a look of uncertainty about him.

"Well if you're not here for me, than why are you here?" The first boy, Richie, questioned, leaning closer.

I leant away, lifting one shoulder in a half shrug.

I felt crowded, scared, and I couldn't get a word past my lips, though I had all of the perfect responses in my head. This seemed to amuse Richie, but the others looked more concerned, awkwardly shuffling their feet.

"But you must know." Richie persisted, undeterred by my obvious fear.

I felt the sentence bubbling up my throat, but I hadn't expected to blurt it out. Still, the next words I spoke were the beggining of a very different life, with very different fear, and very different courage.

"I've seen It too."


	4. Chapter 3

I woke up to then feeling of gravel poking into my back, and somebody shaking my shoulders. Frantic voices were carried away by the wind so that I couldn't really hear what was being said.

I tried to peel my face from the ground, open my eyes, lift my hands, but my body wouldn't cooperate.

"What happened?" I tried to say, thought it came out more like 'wo hanened'.

Still, it was enough to reignite the effort to wake me. They were poking me in the stomach, shaking me, gently tapping my cheek. And slowly but surely, my brain rewired itself, and I could get my eyes open.

The relief was clear on the boys faces, as they stood over me, waiting for me to get up.

I closed my eyes again and sighed, and then attempted to pull myself up. Immediately, the boys had their hands on my back and shoulders to help me.

"You were out like a light!" Richie exclaimed.

"You got an illness of something?" The boy with the cast asked.

"Not everything is an illness, Eddie." The dark skinned kid sighed.

I leant back on the tree again, resting my shaking legs, trying to remember what had happened. They had crowded me, that was the problem, and I panicked. I must've stopped breathing properly.

"I'm not ill..." I mumbled. "I just don't like people."

One of the boys, the one who had stuttered earlier, nodded like that made a lot of sense. The others seemed unsure what that meant, until they were ushered back a few steps, so I wasn't surrounded.

It helped a little, but I could sense them watching me, and the air caught in my throat, making me cough suddenly. Automatically, they steadied themselves for me to faint again, but I kept myself standing purely out of stubbornness.

After a few moments of breathing, I was ready to talk again.

"I have an anxiety disorder, it makes me panic if I so much as see people, let alone have them surrounding me." I explained.

A little more understanding dawned in their eyes.

Another few minutes of silence, and the next sentence worked its way from my head to my mouth.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your conversation."

That's the way it was with me. I could recognize that I wasn't causing them too much trouble, but I still have to apologize. Otherwise I'd be wrecked with unnecessary guilt.

They all muttered different things like 'It's okay' and 'You just rest now.'

More silence, and then I spoke again.

"I should get go-" I started, but Richie interrupted.

"Wait... you saw It too?" He muttered.

I'd forgotten about telling them. Now they eyed me with wonder, and I understood. The man down the drain could have killed me, so it's a marvel I survived.

"How do you know you did?" Eddie seemed unsure about me still.

I thought about that for a moment.

I'd seen the red baloons they described. I'd met someone down the drains, like they said they had. I was lucky to escape with my life, the same as them.

And yet...

I shook my head.

"I guess I don't."

With that, I pushed myself away from the tree and began heading back to the hotel. I heard them mumbling behind me, disbelief that I could just leave without another word. But I was tired, and confused, and my breathing still hadn't settled.

I needed to be alone.

I'd made it two blocks before the drains began to draw me closer. I glanced at them, unsure.

It was unlikely that I'd meet the man again, since I was in a different part of town.

Right...?

I hesitantly stepped towards the nearest one. I sat next to it, and slid my legs down. The rest of me followed soon after, my mind made up.

My feet hit the dirty concrete below, and I scrunched my nose at the smell that hadn't been there last time. I turned to the left and continued in the same direction I would have gone on the streets above.

The smell got worse as I walked, and soon, I had my shirt pulled up to cover my nose, exposing my stomach, which left me cold. But I couldn't stand the stench.

The drains twisted and turned, but I did my best to follow the streets above.

Rocks scattered as a few mice scurried away from the light of my phone. I heard the crunch of something like a snapping stick, and I twisted suddenly, dropping the phone.

With an angry huff, I knelt on the ground trying to the find where I had dropped it, since the light landed down. My hand brushed over something cold, and at first I thought it was my phone.

But when my left hand found the phone else where, and the light illuminated the ground, I froze.

A scream got stuck in my throat, and I couldn't push it out.

My hand lay over another, and the light of the phone soon revealed that the hand was connected to a lifeless body. The eyes were glazed over by a thick grey colour, and the skin was white like paper. The hand was cold, freezing, and stiff like a rock.

The body had been dead for a while, that was certain.

And it stank.

That was the smell.

But I couldn't imagine one body giving off so much odour.

I shook my head, disgusted, lifted my hand away and wiped it on my shirt.

Where had it come from? How did it get down here? Who was the person before they died? Does their family know where the body is?

I had so many questions, and no answers.

I stood and surveyed the body, covering my nose again with my shirt and breathing in the scent of my perfume. It barely covered the stench, but it helped a little.

I sighed for the poor dead person, and turned away.

My foot hit something, and I almodt stumbled, but I caught my footing, and lowered the light of the phone.

I shouted out now, disbelief filling me.

 _No. No. No. No. NO!_

I had seen plenty of dead people before. In fact, I'd often felt safer around them because they could not longer judge me like the living can.

But this... this was terrifying.

There was not just a few scattered dead people before me.

There was a _mountain_ of them, all in the same condition as the first one.

Except... something was different.

And then it hit me.

There was blood everwhere, covering the bodies, spilling out of some bodies, pooling on the ground around them.

And then another observation came to light.

If these dead bodies couldn't move, then what had I heard snapping before?

My heart went up again, my breathing stuttered, and a small growl echoed from the shadows.

 _I'm not alone._


	5. Chapter 4

There was a hand around my throat, and nails were digging into my skin. There was blood dripping down my chest, and a growl in my ear.

"You weren't supposed to come back!"

The words were muttered through gritted teeth.

I felt drool splatter onto my face as whatever it was pinning me down growled again.

I couldn't breathe, but I was used to that, so my eyes remained opened and I was somewhat calm about it. I'd tried pushing the hand away, but my strength was nothing compared to my current enemy.

I couldn't see anything in the darkness, except for the silhouette of the monster currently trying to kill me. It seemed frustrated at my lack of reaction, scratching at any bare skin and growling about fear and floating.

Suddenly, the hand on my throat lifted, and two fists smashed down beside my face, making me flinch.

I could sense a face on millimeters away from mine, a mouth breathing out the air I gasped in. The weight of the rest of the body was pressing down on me, keeping me locked into position.

In a spur of rage, a slap landed on my cheek, and I cried out in pain. A hand covered my mouth to prevent me from screaming, so I was reduced to a whimpering mess. I was still unsure of my circumstances, and so I wasn't entirely frightened, just nervous.

Another low growl rumbled through me.

Another slap was hurled at my face, then another, then a punch.

I assume another punch was thrown, but I will never know, because everything went black.

 ** _*A few hours later*_**

"Oh... oh dear... we should never have left her alone in a different town. Oh, Gary, tell me she'll be okay!"

"Calm down, Pat. She's waking up."

My eyes were half sealed shut from dried gunk, probably mud, but I wiped it away with a fist and opened them. The sun was blaring down in the room, and I squinted until somebody pulled the curtain across half way.

My mother and father were standing over me, worry etched into the faces.

This wasn't unusual, since I stressed them out constantly, but now, I could see they had been truly worried for my life.

My face was numb, my limbs hurt, and my head throbbed.

"How did I get here?" I rasped.

Confusion crossed their features.

"You walked, Honey. You knocked on the door, and then collapsed when we opened it. You had little cuts and everything all over you-" Dad was interrupted

"Oh my little darling! What happened to you?" Mum cried.

I thought back.

The last thing I remember was being punched. Something had been pinning me down and punching me.

Then it came back to me in rush. I remembered the group of boys, the fainting, the drain, the bodies... everything.

I couldn't tell my parents this though. They'd send me back to that aweful hospital for mentally ill people.

So I shrugged, then winced.

"I don't know... I don't remember." I mumbled.

Mum started crying, and dad pulled her into a hug.

For the first time in a while, they weren't arguing.

"She must've had an attack, and run away, and fallen over or... or... or maybe someone attacked her! Or-" Mum started going on her little rant of worries, and dad and I listened silently until she tired herself out.

They both sat on the bed, huddled together.

We stayed like that for a while, just silently taking it all in, until I finally spoke up.

"Don't worry about me. This holiday still have seven days left, we should try to forget this and enjoy it." I said.

My parents shared a look and then shook their heads.

"We can't enjoy it if you're stuck here in pain." Dad said.

"Nonsense. I'm not in pain," I lied. "Just tired. And besides, I can take a day or two to recover, and you can go sight seeing together, and then we go somewhere special when I'm back on my feet."

I tried to keep my voice upbeat, and the trick worked.

Their faces brightened, hope restored. With a firm nod from dad, the plan was set.

"But... one thing, Ezri. We only have six days left. You slept through a day and two nights." Mum said, tearing up again.

"Oh... well..." I struggled for something good to say.

Dad beat me to it.

"Why don't we go do something now, to get your mind off it, Pat?" He asked.

Mum still seemed uncertain.

"I'll be fine mum, I can handle myself. All I need is a bit of rest." I mustered up the courage to smile as I spoke.

This sold her. I never smiled.

"Okay." She said cheerfully.

They packed a few things in mums handbag- snacks, money, phones, maps, ect.- and set off to see the very few sights in Derrey.

I lay in bed a few minutes after they left, and then jumped up, grabbing my own backpack, and slipped on my shoes. I pulled my phone out of my backpack and dumped the bag. It was too much to carry around for a few hours.

As soon as I was out the door, I tried to head in the same direction as yesterday, hopefully to meet the group of boys along the way.

I surprised myself with that thought, since I was always avoinding people, not hoping to see them. Still, it was necessary if I wanted some answers to very annoying questions.

I finally found the house where they had been last time, but to no avail. The house seemed empty of all people, let alone the boys.

I sighed, shoulders drooping, and carried on in the same direction.

My eyes wandered to the drains a few times.

 _I'm never going down there again_ ,I thought.

I'd already managed to escape two times more than I should have. Maybe the third time wouldn't be so lucky. So I stood in the center of the road, preferring to attract attention to myself, then to be too close to a drain and get dragged in.

I travelled two streets before I heard the familiar voices of the boys.

I turned this way and that, trying to determine which direction they were in, but to no avail. I took a few steps one way, and found the voices getting closer. I continued on, but still couldn't see any sign of them.

It took another five steps before I figured out where the voices came from.

I huffed, as I listened to the calm conversation coming from the drains.

 _Seriously?_


	6. Chapter 5

I knelt hesitantly next to the drain, not too close, but not too far.

"Guys?" My voice quivered.

The conversation stopped, and a head popped up to the drain entrance. It was the dark skinned boy.

"Oh... hey." He said casually, like he wasn't in a drain.

I waved back awkwardly.

Richie popped up next, smirking.

"You sure you aren't following me, doll face?" He raised an eyebrow.

I sighed.

"Can I... join you guys for a moment? I got something to tell you." I mumbled.

The dark skinned boy moved away from the opening, waving me down, while Richie offered a hand. I ignored the offer, not to be rude, but just to avoid human contact.

Once I slid down, I dusted off my pants, keeping my eyes lowered as my heart rate lifted a little.

 _Damn, I hate people._

"What do you need to say, dearie?"

The voice was raspy and familiar.

I glanced up.

 _Not again. Not freaking again._

The boys were gone, replaced by an overwhelming amount of red balloons, and in the center of them all, was the man who I'd seen the first time in the drains. His perfectly fitting suit didn't fit the surroundings, but added a very authorative touch to his presence.

His voice was the one I'd heard from the monster who I met on the second night.

A thought dawned on me.

 _He is the monster._

I couldn't speak, fear overcoming me again. I closed my eyes, squeezed them tight, and opened them again, but he was still there. He didn't go away, no matter how much I blinked and tried to forget him.

He stepped forward, slowly and menacingly. Another step. Then again. Finally a fourth step bought him to stand in front of me, almost touching me.

My neck tilted so far back to look up at him that it hurt a little.

I sucked in a shuddering breath, thoughts buzzing about how he'd definitely kill me this time.

Something tickled my chin, and I realised quickly that it was his fingers. He tilted my head further back, earning a pained whimper from me.

I noticed that he wasn't watching my face anymore, but my neck instead.

 _He's sizing up his meal._

My hands started shaking, and I couldn't breathe very well with my head back.

His fingers trailed down to my throat and began to grip it tightly. I closed my eyes, willing the death to be quick and painless.

"You keep coming back. You leave afraid but you keep coming back."

His voice was calm, and that made him scarier. His words confused me a little, but I ignored it.

"Please just kill me now." I begged, bottom lip quivering.

I heard him lean closer, his breathing now next to my ear.

"Where's the fun in that?"

My quiver ran down my spine. I couldn't back away, but I desperately wanted some space between us.

"Don't torture me please, just make it a quick death." I mumbled.

A tiny, maniacal laugh was breathed into my ear.

"What makes you think you're going to die?"

So he wasn't going to kill me?

"What else am I meant to think?" I asked.

His grip tightened on my throat, and he pushed me to the cement wall, pinned me there.

"I've already got plenty to eat, no use in over doing it. Especially not with a worthless child." These words calmed me slightly. "Although... you do have a habit of not leaving. Perhaps you want to die."

He dug his nails into my neck as he said it.

It registered that he did consider me a meal, despite being of the same species. I almost considered thanking him for sparing me, but decided that sarcasm wasn't the answer.

I was struggling to breathe again, but some air was getting in.

"But if you're so keen for my company, then stay."

The next thing I knew, black limbs like tentacles spurted out of his back, and wrapped around my arms, legs and throat. I was pinned to the wall, and quite uncomfortable as well.

Leaning forward again to whisper in my ear, he growled first.

"If you try to make a noise, I will strangle you."

I could still barely breathe as it was, so I did as I was told.

He turned away, stepping in the shadows where the light of the drain opening didn't reach, and pulled someting into the light. It was red, and wet, and it stank.

I gagged as I realised it was a half eaten carcass. The retching noise made the grip on my throat tighten as a warning, and then it loosened again. I sighed silently, and sucked in a lungful of fresh air.

The man turned, held out the rotting flesh.

"Want some?" His grin said he knew full well what my answer would be.

I shook my head as much as I could.

He stepped forward, closer and closer until his nose touched mine.

"It's not polite for a guest to refuse a meal." He whispered, licking his lips, and parts of mine in the process.

I swallowed hard, blinking a long blink.

The smell got worse as he lifted a small portion of the meat to my mouth. I kept my lips sealed shut.

His grip on my throat tightened, but death was better than cannibalism. The tightness only remained a few seconds, and then he released my throat all together.

Instinctively, I sucked in a large breath, opening my mouth in the process.

He didn't shove the meat in my mouth, but pressed it past my lips, far enough that I couldn't move away. I gagged slightly, but as he continued to press the meat in my mouth, I had accept the bite.

I closed my mouth over his fingers, and bit into the meat. A burst of bloody juice filled the space, causing me to choke a little, but I managed to swallow a small part of it. It almost came back up.

I had a pained looked on my face, and a slight whimper escaped me.

The man pulled the rest of the meat away, stuck it in his own mouth and swallowed it whole. He smiled evilly afterwards, revealing a row of pointed teeth I hadn't noticed before.

His eyes brightened a little more.

"That's much better." He was pleased with my cooperation.

 _I want to go home._

His next words sunk my heart a little further.

"Since you're being such a polite guest, why don't I show you around the place?"

I almost shook my head, but soon realised that would be a mistake.

He took my silence as a positive.

And so, on that note, our tour began.


End file.
